Frosty's Quest for the Holy Grail: aka "The Perfect Cup of Hot Chocolate."
Wintertime in Hanover can be exceedingly grim depending on which side of the frosted pane you're looking at. Which is why I suggest you invest in the therapeutic powers of a perfectly brewed cup of hot chocolate. Its rich, almost sensuous chocolatey taste can work wonders on the soul and morale when faced with below-freezing temperatures and the endless drudgery of trudging through snow.
So, for the past two weeks, I have been on a quest of heroic and not-so-heroic proportions. (Not so heroic, because in the end, I ended up sampling a lot of DDS hot cocoa in different scenarios. You know how it goes one cup while I was studying, another while walking, another while talking, another after ice skating. The list of scientific enquiry goes on.) But I have to say, having collected enough field data on DDS hot chocolate and its many uses, DDS hot cocoa could not be more satisfying in the right situations.
For instance, picture this: you're at a women's hockey game watching those foxy ladies in green tearing up the ice and all you can think about besides the possibility of a puck colliding with your face is how numb your fingers are because the temperature inside Thompson Arena is equivalent to that of an icebox. (Which okay, makes sense, but still, bundling into your winter coat in this situation is not sufficient.) You need liquid libation of the scalding variety. And let me tell you, DDS is there for you. My cup was so hot I literally felt as if I had a mini scalding kettle in between my hands. It was nirvana.
But okay, okay, I promise I did some "actual" research for this column that extends beyond the realm of DDS hot chocolate. That said, don't undersell the magical quality of the hot cocoa machine at Occom Pond. I found that it was by far the best DDS has to offer, hands down. (Then again, it could have been because I was taking furtive sips from my little mentee's cup. I know, worst mentor ever.) So sorry, Milky Way hot chocolate at One Wheelock, I've heard marvelous rumors about how wonderful you are, but you just never seem to be in stock.
Anyway, my quest for the finest brewed cup of chocolatey deliciousness in Hanover first took me to the Dirt Cowboy. It then took me there again. And maybeeee one or two more times. It was a magical concoction of saccharine divinity and marshmallow fluff that left me thirsting for more. I almost didn't make the trek to Umpbleby's, I was so content with my Dirt Cowboy delight. (The treks to Lou's and Rosy Jekes were enjoyable but not worth exceeding my column's word limit to write about). But I had heard such wondrous tales of the famed Umpbleby cup of hot chocolate that I figured it time to move on even though I was positive I had found perfection.
And what should be waiting for me at Umpleby's you ask? Pray tell, it was the most frothy cappuccino-esque hot chocolate I have ever consumed! I was almost convinced that it was not hot chocolate at all, but rather a very elegant cup of an Italian-grade cappuccino (it's been a while since I've gone out in the world, if you couldn't tell). Anyway, it tickled my tongue. It tantalized my taste buds. And it tempted me to try the whole milk version (I had only tried the skim). Dear reader, I was not disappointed.
And now, having reached the end of my two-week hot cocoa and whip cream calorie quest, I sit in Umpleby's Caf perplexed two cups of cocoa in. Who has the best hot cocoa in Hanover?
Please know it is not a title that I give lightly, as I fancy myself to now be a connoisseur of a finely brewed cup of hot chocolate. (I will share battle scars to prove it upon request.) But after much careful consideration, I must say, the rightful title belongs to none other than (drumroll, please) THE DIRT COWBOY.
So, Dirt Cowboy, how bout a free cup of hot cocoa sometime?
